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Timing chain noise on my Cooper S, is this the end?
I've got a 2015 Cooper S and there's a rattle on cold start that lasts a few seconds and then goes away. I've been reading up and everything points to the timing chain tensioner, which apparently is a known weak point on these engines. The car still drives fine otherwise, no warning lights, no loss of power, but I know ignoring it is a gamble I probably shouldn't take. I'm looking for a professional MINI Cooper repair in Musaffah Industrial Area since I don't want the dealer pricing and I want someone who's actually seen this issue before rather than learning on my car. My question is whether the whole chain and tensioner needs replacing or just the tensioner, and roughly what I should expect to pay. Also, how urgent is this? Can I drive it for a few more weeks or is every cold start risking catastrophic damage? Would love to hear from anyone who's dealt with this on an N18 engine and what the outcome was.
